Forming and sustaining an InterCorps Council

Abstract

InterCorps Councils connect and coordinate programs statewide, share resources, promote leadership skills and an ethic of service, and provide a forum for service members to voice collective opinions and ideas. This effective practice shares sustainability practices, and describes councils in Maine and Colorado. Collected from a discussion on the ACList (AmeriCorps) e-mail discussion list, in January 2004.

Issue

As a member-driven resource, sustainability beyond the core group of participants can be difficult.

Action

All InterCorps Councils (ICC) have the same goals and function in roughly the same way, with slight differences in structure and methodology. The following effective practices from two different state councils are representative of councils' basic similarities in design and structure, and exemplify variations in how these goals are interpreted.

In Maine the InterCorps Council consists of AmeriCorps State and National members, Promise Fellows and AmeriCorps*VISTA members. Each AmeriCorps program and AmeriCorps*VISTA region selects representatives whenever possible. A liaison from the Maine Commission for Community Services (MCCS) decides upon numbers deemed appropriate for program representation. When possible representatives are chosen by peer selection. Representatives are expected to attend bi-monthly general council meetings, actively participate in at least one committee, help organize regional meetings, and assist in the planning of at least one statewide meeting.

In Colorado, the InterCorps Council is supported by the Governor's Commission for Community Service (GCCS), the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and national service programs. All national service members in the state of Colorado are invited to participate in the InterCorps Council. This includes AmeriCorps* State and National, AmeriCorps* NCCC, AmeriCorps*VISTA, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Corps programs. Responsibility for facilitating the work of the InterCorps Council rests with its members.

Effective practices for InterCorps Councils in the states of Maine and Colorado include the following:

Meeting Structure: (Maine)

General council meetings are held bi-monthly. Members facilitate each general council meeting, except for the orientation, which is set up by the MCCS liaison and the CNCS staff. The facilitators are responsible for working with the MCCS liaison to set up the meeting, set the agenda, appoint a recorder, and work with the training committee to find a trainer. Facilitators are assigned at the first general council meeting. Thereafter, the agenda and directions are distributed two weeks in advance. Agendas for general council meetings include time for networking, sharing successes, and three hours for training, when possible. At each meeting, a networking table is set up so that representatives can share important information about their program and other resources pertinent to their service.

In Colorado, all members have the following responsibilities:

Attend monthly meetings
Spend two hours per week doing committee work
Write monthly newsletter
Put together the newsletter at least one time
Act as liaison between the team and the Corporation
Lead minimum of one meeting
Share information about his/her program

Committees:

In Colorado, InterCorps Council committees include:

Communications: Includes Speakers Bureau and Alumni Involvement/Networking e-mail discussion list
National Identity Days: Planning for Service Days that include Martin Luther King Jr., Day, National Volunteer Week, Make a Difference Day, Colorado Cares Day
Social: Includes events planning for ICC team and planning for all AmeriCorps teams
Community Service: Includes planning projects and creating contacts with other organizations

In Maine, council representatives divide into committees to work on initiatives set by the group at the first general council meeting of the year.

Each committee selects a chairperson to coordinate committee activities, ensure communication between members, and participate on the executive council. It is the chairperson's responsibility to see that the committee goals are established and a time line for meeting these goals is adhered to. In addition, the chair ensures that a committee member takes minutes at each meeting and that the committee reports back to the council. Minutes and written materials are kept on file for each committee for the following year's representatives.

Teams include:

Executive Committee:

This committee consists of the chairpersons from each committee and the MCCS liaison. The executive committee acts in a support and leadership role to the council by serving as a liaison between the committees, other council representatives, and the MCCS. Executive Committee members are responsible for aiding in the transition from one program year to the next and communicating with the MCCS liaison regarding the needs, structure, and communications of the council.

In Colorado, the Advisory Board assumes this "executive" role, and is the sustaining force of the InterCorps Council — instrumental in creating networks among programs and disseminating information. The council is comprised of members who are serving in national service programs. Each program selects members with leadership potential and a demonstrated desire to be a part of a challenging and rewarding program to represent them on the council. Members enrolled in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders' programs are required to play a role in the council. All national service programs are invited to have member representatives on the council.

Each representative is responsible for distributing newsletters, announcements, and other vital information to their programs and its members.
Each representative is strongly encouraged to join one of the working committees of the council, as well as to recruit other national service members for these committees.
The leadership within the council is a rotating, shared experience, where everyone takes part in facilitation, recording and guardian positions.
Each member is expected to provide input to the Governor's Commission on Community Service on policy, and on designing the volunteer and service conferences.
Every participant is expected to work on the development of the council in some areas, such as sustainability, incorporation of AmeriCorps alumni, recruitment, new programs, and committees.

Training: (Maine) The Training Committee is responsible for developing a master list of topics that the Maine InterCorps council members would like (or need) additional training on. This committee, along with the liaison for MCCS, defines the appropriate trainings for general council meetings. Members from this committee work with facilitators to determine best times for trainings at each meeting. Trainings are nearly always presented with the idea that they will be passed along to constituents in AmeriCorps. The training committee may also assist with statewide training sponsored by the State Commission. These skill development workshops enhance the council members' service-learning experiences and job skills, and promote the interactive participation and cohesion that facilitates group development.

The Colorado InterCorps Council has identified a list of potential workshop topics as follows:

Team building
Conflict management
Life after AmeriCorps
Learning styles
Evaluations and outcomes
Resource sharing and networking
Community organizing
Management and supervisory skills
How to network volunteers
Goal setting
Group stages of development
Assertiveness
Train the Trainer (Leadership Development)
Conflict resolution
Diversity
Strategic planning
Accessing communities (community mapping)
Persuasion communication (active listening, non-verbal, written)
Motivation
Fundraising
Proposal and grant writing
Former AmeriCorps members as speakers (how to be successful after AmericCorps)
Working with the media

Communication/Networking (Maine): The Communication/Networking Committee works to connect AmeriCorps members serving in programs and projects across the state to enhance collaboration opportunities, support, and networking. The committee is responsible for the delegation, collection, and compilation of articles for the newsletter. The committee works with the MCCS liaison to set deadlines, publish, and distribute the newsletter. In addition, the committee is responsible for promoting the Maine AmeriCorps e-mail discussion list. This committee works with the Outreach/Recruitment Committee to aid in the promotion and public awareness of AmeriCorps.

Outreach/Recruitment: (Maine)The Outreach/Recruitment Committee develops ways to create public awareness of AmeriCorps. Members produce materials to distribute to programs to use in recruitment and in explanation of AmeriCorps to the public. The committee works to develop materials for presentations to other organizations and the state commission. The committee also works with the MCCS to gather pictures from programs to be used in MCCS publications, including the Web site, InterCorps Council annual report, and scrapbook.

Sustainability of an InterCorps Council: (Gathered from an AmeriCorps e-mail discussion list thread in January 2004)

[The following ideas were shared by Janet Elder, Pittsburgh Health Corps, jelder@achd.net]

Develop an InterCorps Council that is staff driven as opposed to being coordinated by members. This allows for continuity, program and staff development, structured cross-stream service projects, joint training, and observation of National Service Days. If program staff isn't strongly connected with the council they won't encourage their members to participate. Bring staff and members who are on the council together to brainstorm joint collaborations.
Encourage members to take leadership responsibilities, within the staff-driven structure. It helps to have the staff framework so that the entire organization doesn't change as members rotate through the program.
Educate others about InterCorps Councils. For instance, program directors presented a workshop on InterCorps Councils at the 2003 National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service.

[The following idea was shared by Hannah Harris, Senior Program Officer, WI National and Community Service Board, www.wisconsinserve.org]

Besides its established duties, the council can take on special projects that are of interest to the members. In Wisconsin, the council compiled a booklet of service stories.

[The following ideas were shared by Christy Monroe, formerly with the Maine Commission for Community Service, http://www.state.me.us/communityservice/]

Make it fun so that members have personal motivation to volunteer above and beyond their AmeriCorps duty.
Keep minutes and written materials on file for each committee for the following year's representatives.

[The following idea was shared by Steve Hoad, AmeriCorps 99-01, AmeriCorps*VISTA 02-03, Current member of the Disability Advisory Committee for AmeriCorps and Maine's Commission for Community Service, psh@ceimaine.org]

Start as early in the program year as possible. Educate your council by having them undertake an activity annually. In Maine this is the Celebration of Service for all Corps members — essentially, a big thank you party that lasts all day!

[The following ideas were excerpted from the Colorado InterCorps Council Handbook]

A handbook was designed by InterCorps Council members in Colorado who served between 1998-1999 as a means to sustain the council, and has been updated by subsequent councils. Because there is rolling admission for AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members, the council has a constant flux of attendees. The handbook was designed to alleviate the difficulties that occur during orientation by providing new Corps members with the information they need to continue the council. Each site receives one handbook for their Corps members.

Sustainability Goals of the Colorado InterCorps Council

Invite new members (ongoing)
Encourage each program to have representatives on the council
Involve permanent members of the Colorado Service Network (Executive Director of the Governor's Commission on Community Service, Director of AmeriCorps*VISTA, Commissioner's Program Coordinators)
Create and maintain an InterCorps Council Handbook
Develop a skillful Advisory Board with members who are able and willing to take the lead of the council.

Context

In Maine, the InterCorps Council was formed by involving program directors. Each had a selection process of council members in their individual programs throughout the state.There are InterCorps Councils in several states, including Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Massachusetts, as well as in the District of Columbia.

Outcome

InterCorps Councils:

Connect and coordinate programs throughout the state
Network, collaborate, and share resources
Organize statewide activities and events (service projects)
Serve as a forum to voice collective opinions and ideas to state commissions, program directors, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and others
Advance leadership skills through workshops and facilitative experiences
Promote an ethic of service
Use newsletters and e-mail discussion lists to exchange ideas
Are supported by state commissions, the Corporation, and national service programs

Posted On

April 8, 2004

Resources

Colorado InterCorps Council Handbook (PDF, 252 KB)

Related Practices

Related sites

Washington State InterCorps Council

D.C. InterCorps Council

Virginia InterCorps Council

Resource Center